


Crimson and White Cloaks

by ImaginationReaper98



Series: Tourneys, Cloaks and Betrothals [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Decision Making, F/M, betrothal, just read it and see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8815045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginationReaper98/pseuds/ImaginationReaper98
Summary: He tried to decide whether she had changed him or he had this part of himself for the longest time. The selfless and considerate part of his being. Mayhap he always had it in him, but it was Lyanna who dragged it out from where it was hidden beneath his soul.





	

It was all Jaime Lannister's fault.

When this lion knight presented her a crown of blue winter roses, she had thought he was only japing. Of course she thought that way, they've been japing around and sharing laughs almost every evening for the past several days. Lyanna played along with this supposed act of his and kissed him softly in the cheek like a proper lady. He laughed when she did; fully convincing her that it was indeed a mere joke.

But Jaime's craving for lighthearted humor was not the thing that urged him to crown her as Queen of love and beauty. And upon learning this, Lyanna felt anger.

Her anger increased a hundredfold when her Lord Father told her she was to marry him.

Apparently, after discovering that his eldest son was smitten with Lady Lyanna, Tywin Lannister was quick to use it to his advantage. Jaime had never once expressed his desire for marriage or even in inheriting Casterly Rock. Lord Tywin feared his son would soon run off somewhere to quench his thirst for adventure and glory. So when he saw the way his son's eyes watched the lovely Lady Lyanna his mind went to work.

Lord Rickard Stark, though wary at first, agreed to Lord Tywin's offer to wed their children. His original plan was to betroth Lyanna to the young lord of Storm's End, Robert Baratheon, but he figured that the Lannister heir was also a good match, if not better. Anyway, his son Eddard's close ties of brotherly friendship with Robert seemed to be enough.

Jaime was happy with the news. He had dreaded the day he'd be wed for as long as he could remember, thinking that he would end up with some silly young lady from the Westerlands. But the prospect of having Lyanna as his wife, lively and sportive and spirited Lyanna, was making his future look better. She would become the sun that would light up his dull and dark days as the Lord of Casterly Rock. Lyanna, on the other hand, did not share a single ounce of his delight.

Truth be told, she did like Jaime Lannister. Yes, he was arrogant and proud but he was good, she could tell. He could make her laugh easily, which was something. His carefree and adventurous nature was a thing they both share and even Lyanna wasn't impervious to his charms (though not as severely as other women). And when he gave her those lovely blue winter roses, a jape or not, it made her heart do the smallest of leaps. But it does not make her want to marry him.

It was all Jaime Lannister's fault.

 

…

 

Lyanna embraced each of her brothers tightly when she was about to leave. Brandon roared his farewell and kissed her cheek; a smirk on his face telling her he had sneaked in a sword for her to bring along like he had promised. Ned looked even more solemn and Lyanna knew she would surely miss that face of his. She laughed at Benjen for his glassy eyes and after her laughter died down, she promised him she would visit.

Lady Lyanna mounted her horse and waved at them one more time. She hoped that the next time she would see them again would not be to visit but to stay at Winterfell for good. Her heart ached but she did not allow her tears to fall from her eyes.

 

…

 

Jaime has just finished practicing in the courtyard when his father called for him. Lord Tywin's face was calm when Jaime entered his solar, but you could never always tell with him. His cool mask of indifference could mean a thousand different things.

"A raven came this morning. It was from the King."

 _What does that have to do with me?_ Jaime wanted to say, instead he only nodded. Lord Tywin stood from his chair and walked to face the window.

"He offers to appoint you in his Kingsguard." His father's voice was cold as steel.

For a moment, Jaime allowed his chest to swell with pride. He thought perhaps the King saw his talents in the tourney at Harrenhal where he had defeated his own son, the Prince.

"You can wipe that smirk off your face now." said Lord Tywin with a deceptively calm tone. "If you think he wants you to join the Kingsguard because of your unparalleled skills as a Knight, you are greatly mistaken."

"Why can't you just be proud of me for once?" Jaime snapped.

Lord Tywin ignored him and spoke with an even tone, "Rhaegar wishes to marry the wolf girl as much as you do. I am sure you know this."

That silenced Jaime's angry protests completely. "You cannot mean-"

"That the King wants you to forsake your betrothal to Lyanna Stark for his son to claim her? Yes. A dragon does not stop until he gets what he wants."

Jaime did not know what to say. He remembered the way Prince Rhaegar looked at Lyanna and how he had clenched his fists to prevent himself from destroying the Prince's face. The beast has reawakened, and it was even more vicious than before.

"If you want to let yourself be lured by the dragon's trap that, I am certain, is very tempting to you, then go and be a fool. But always remember that a true lion is no fool."

Being a member of the Kingsguard was a dream of his; that was true. But this white cloak the king offers him is tainted with artifice. Not to mention the way he felt sick when he thought of Lyanna marrying the Prince.

"You need not worry Father," he said, "I am not going anywhere."

 

…

 

The Northerners arrived and Lyanna was way ahead of her company as they passed through the gates. She was as beautiful as Jaime remembered and though the way she rode her brown mare made Cersei frown, Jaime thought it to be the most endearing thing in the world.

But Lady Lyanna was unsmiling when she offered him her hand for him to kiss, nor did he ever hear her laugh for the rest of that day. He was slightly bothered by it but he blamed it on a long and tiring day of travelling.

The next day, Jaime invited her to go ride with him. She smiled as the wind hit her face and tangled her hair behind her. Still, she was quiet all the while and only spoke to him when it was necessary.

_Surely this can't still be because of exhaustion?_

"Is there something bothering you? You seem unusually silent." he asked when they stopped.

Lyanna looked at him and smiled. There was something off about it though, as if she was forcing her own lips to turn up. "There is no reason to be bothered, my lord." she said, too politely to be true.

Jaime grinned at her. "You can tell me anything, Lyanna. We are to be wed and I can be trusted with a secret."

There was nothing polite in the way her brows furrowed. "Are you really this stupid? Of course something is bothering me! Have you ever given a single thought whether or not I am equally gladdened by this betrothal? Are you really that self-absorbed to not notice that I don't want to marry you at all?"

For a second, Jaime was at a loss for words. Then his anger shot up as quick and sudden as an arrow.

"If the idea of being my wife disgusts you so much then why did you even bother to travel all the way here? It's not my fault our fathers decided to unite our houses."

She laughed bitterly. "You're the one who planted the idea inside their heads in the first place, the moment you laid that cursed crown on top of my head."

"Well, you seemed to like it so much when I did."

Lyanna scoffed. "If you told me it was not a joke, I wouldn't have played along."

"A joke? Seven hells, Lyanna. You are the only woman that I could give that crown to."

"And I'm supposed to be swooning and running into your arms?"

Jaime cannot remember another time he was angrier than he was on that moment.

"If it was Rhaegar instead of me, I bet you would have."

"The Prince? Why are you dragging him into this, he's got nothing to do with anything."

"He wants you,"

"Well, fuck the prince then!" she shouted. Jaime was slightly thankful they were alone. "I don't want to marry you, the prince or any other man!"

She left him there alone and rode away as fast as her mount could manage, leaving Jaime fuming and cursing at the wind.

 

…

 

"She hates me. I am to marry someone who hates me."

Cersei laughed. "She doesn't hate you, trust me on this. She only hates that she has to marry you."

"So she does hate me."

His twin sister shook her head.

"You do not understand what it's like to be a woman, dear brother. We rarely have the honor of making the choices for ourselves. Mostly, it's the men around us that dictate our lives. We simply do not have the power to get what we truly want; we have to work hard for those things. Lady Lyanna, stubborn as she is, hates that. Even more so than I do, I daresay."

Jaime stared at her. "And your point is?"

Cersei let out a sigh and twined her arm through his. "Never mind, Jaime."

"There's also this other thing, about Prince Rhaegar-"

"Do not worry about him," she cut him off, "I will be the one to marry the prince and he'll be out of your way."

Jaime knew better than to question his sister.

 

…

 

Before he slept that night, Cersei's words echoed through his head.

He realized she was right. From all the things Lyanna had told him in those evenings they spent talking back in Harrenhal, she never even once mentioned about marriage. Perhaps it was because of what Cersei said; that she hates the fact that she has no say about it.

Lyanna was a free-spirited young woman, cage her and she'll be miserable. She was called the She-Wolf for a reason, after all.

On that night before he slept, Jaime made a decision. His father would be resentful towards him, he was certain. But Ser Jaime Lannister was a stubborn young man.

The day that followed, he had sent Lyanna a note and hoped she won't ignore it. His hopes prevailed when he saw her walking towards where he was, on a balcony overlooking the sea.

"What is this important thing you want to discuss to me?"

He loved it that she ignored pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Your freedom." he told her simply.

Her forehead crinkled in confusion. "What did you say?"

He walked closer to her. "King Aerys has expressed his wish to have me as a new member of his Kingsguard. I will accept his offer and free you from this betrothal you so ardently loathe. I'll tell my father tomorrow, and you should write to yours as well."

Unguarded surprise was painted across her face as she looked at him. She was so beautiful then and there. Lyanna was not perfect nor was she as delicate and refined as the other ladies in Westeros, and somehow it only made him regret his decision more. What she possessed was an effortless grace that is clear in every move she made, it is not taught but rather gifted.

Jaime knew that his decision will haunt him for the rest of his life.

He tried to decide whether she had changed him or he had this part of himself for the longest time. The selfless and considerate part of his being. Mayhap he always had it in him, but it was Lyanna who dragged it out from where it was hidden beneath his soul.

 

…

 

Before Lyanna could even open her mouth to speak, he spun around and started to walk away. Her instincts told her to call for him to come back but in a rare moment of self-restraint, she stopped herself.

She was supposed to be happy. She should be jumping up and down in glee and smile from ear to ear. But every time she tried to, all she could think of was Jaime Lannister's sad smile; an expression so unlike the smirks and grins he gave away so easily.

Still, she could not believe what Jaime had told her. He really was granting her freedom.

Lyanna tried to convince herself that Jaime only did it because he wanted to become a Kingsguard; he was an ambitious Knight after all. Yet the look on his face told another story. It was the most vulnerable he has ever seen him.

She can't get herself to sleep when night came, her thoughts tugging at her eyelids to remain open. After an hour of turning around and failing at every attempt at sleep, she stood and donned a thick cloak over her nightgown. She made her way towards Jaime's chambers. With every empty corridor and set of stairs and turns, there were the occasional guards who, to their credit, turned away and pretended to not see her.

She finally reached his room and knocked on his door. He heard the faint sound of lazy footsteps and was met by the sight of his face softened by sleep. His features awakened at an instant when he saw her. Jaime's hair was ruffled and looked all over the place, his face masked with gold under the candlelight. His eyes, though, were still as green as the arrival of spring.

"Lyanna? What are you doing here this late?"

She looked at him straight in the eye, grey over emerald. "I wanted to ask you why."

Jaime understood her question completely. Once again he wore the same sad smile.

"I know, it's foolish right? Why would anyone let go of someone like you? I mean, you are the only person I would proudly boast could outride me. I would usually deny it, mind you."

It hit her then, like flint kindling and starting a fire; quick and sudden and consuming.

Without a thought, she drew closer and pressed her lips to his. He reacted eagerly as his hands ran down her sides and stayed on her waist. They kissed deeply and she felt like it was the most right thing in the world.

When they broke the kiss, they stayed close and tangled in each other. Lyanna kept her arms around his neck with her lips mere inches from his ear.

"I'm afraid you'd have to make do with your crimson cloaks, Ser Jaime." she whispered.

He breathes out a laugh. "White was never my color anyway."

It was all Jaime Lannister's fault, not that Lyanna was still complaining.


End file.
